Known connector assemblies exist having multiple receptacle connectors in a common housing, which provide a compact arrangement of such receptacle connectors. Such a connector assembly is useful to provide multiple connection ports. Accordingly, such a connector assembly is referred to as a multi-port connector assembly. In preferred arrays, the housing has jacks one above the other, forming a plurality of arrays in stacked arrangement, so-called “stacked jack” arrangements. The receptacle connectors, that is, modular jacks, each have electrical terminals arranged in a terminal array, and have plug-receiving cavities. Specifically, the receptacle connectors are in the form of RJ-45 type modular jacks that establish mating connections with corresponding RJ-45 modular plugs.
For example, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,531,612, a connector assembly has two rows of receptacle connectors, that is, modular jacks, arranged side-by-side in an upper row and side-by-side in a lower row in a common housing, which advantageously doubles the number of receptacle connectors without having to increase the length of the housing. The receptacle connectors have plug-receiving sections with plug receiving cavities that are profiled to surround modular plugs that are to be inserted in the cavities. The modular plugs have resilient latches, which engage with latching sections on the modular jacks. The latches are capable of being grasped by hand, and being resiliently bent inwardly toward the plugs to release them from engagement with the latching sections on the modular jacks.
Another design is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,227,911 to Boutros et al., which discloses a modular jack assembly having multiple ports for connection to multiple modular jacks. While this assembly further discloses having packaged magnetic assemblies, or other components, this design, as in other attempts to signal condition connection devices, simply adds the components to known connection devices. Therefore, the volume within the assembly is inadequate to provide the proper signal conditioning devices for the high speeds now required.
One application for such connector assemblies is in the field of telephony, wherein the modular jacks provide ports for connection with a telephone-switching network of a telephone service provider, such as a regional telephone company or national telephone company. The corresponding RJ-45 modular plugs terminate opposite ends of telephone cords leading to wall-mounted telephone outlets inside a building. The telephone outlets connect to telephone lines outside of the building, which, in turn, connect to the telephone-switching network of the telephone service provider.
Alternatively, such connection systems have found utility in office computer networks, where desktops are interconnected to office servers by way of sophisticated cabling. Such networks have a variety of data transmission mediums including coaxial cable, fiber optic cable and telephone cable. One such network topography is known as the Ethernet network, which is subject to various electrical standards, such as IEEE 802.3 and others. Such networks have the requirement to provide a high number of distributed connections, yet optimally requires little space in which to accommodate the connections.
Furthermore, such networks now operate at speeds of 1 gigabit and higher which requires significant conditioning to the signals. For instance, it is common to require shielding for controlling electromagnetic radiation per FCC standards, while at the same time controlling electromagnetic interference (EMI) within the assembly, between adjacent connections. It is therefore also a requirement to provide such components within the assembly as magnetic coils, inductors, chip capacitors, and the like, to condition the signals. While the technology exists for conditioning the signals, no connection devices exist which are capable of handling such speeds, while at the same time package the signal conditioning components required to maintain these speeds.
To add further complication to the existing infrastructure, it is now also desirable in today's building infrastructure, to provide power over the ethernet cable, thus providing power directly to the modular jack interface, that is to the so-called RJ-45 modular jack. Thus, providing power through the ethernet cable (otherwise referred to as Power-Over-Ethernet or POE) allows some power to be delivered at an ethernet interface, where power is not otherwise available.
It is known to provide approximately 16 watts through ethernet cable, whereby the power is available as a DC source at the ethernet interface. This could be used as a power source for phone usage, or to trickle charge batteries such as cell phone or laptop batteries. In this case, however, power over ethernet control cards are provided, whereby the power is controlled and conditioned to the interface of the ethernet connection.
One way of accomplishing this task is to provide a connector device on a motherboard, which receives a power over ethernet control card, which thereafter is connected to a further electrical connector device having the interface. In such cases, valuable real estate is taken up on the motherboard and also further complicates both the motherboard patterns as well as requires redundant connection devices. Moreover, from a connector-manufacturing standpoint, it is desirable to provide as many options as possible to the user and yet not require multiple and/or redundant component parts.
One multi-port electrical connector is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,655,988 and assigned to the present assignee, and is incorporated in its entirety herein.
Thus, the objects of the invention are to provide a connection system consistent with the needs described above.
The objects of the invention have been accomplished by providing a multi-port jack assembly, comprised of a multi-port electrical connector housing having a plurality of housing ports adjacent a mating face of the connector housing. A shield member comprises a base shield portion and sidewall portions extending from side edges of the base shield portion. The sidewall portions extend in opposite directions from the base shield portion. A plurality of modular connector subassemblies are also provided, each comprising an insulative housing assembly and electrical terminal assemblies therein. The insulative housing assemblies are adapted for stacking with the base shield portion positioned therebetween, and with one of the shield sidewall portions positioned against a side of one of the housings and the other shield sidewall portion positioned against a side of the other housing.
Preferably, the insulative housings each comprise a modular jack housing portion and a signal conditioning housing portion, and the electrical terminal assemblies are comprised of modular jack terminals and circuit board contacts.
The multi-port jack assembly may further comprise a signal conditioning board having signal conditioning components thereon positioned in the signal conditioning housing portion, with the modular jack terminals and the circuit board portions electrically connected to the signal conditioning board. The modular jack housing may be comprised of an over molded portion over the plurality of modular jack electrical terminals. The signal conditioning board may include ground traces thereon, and the shield sidewall portions may each include a tab portion extending therefrom and electrically connected to the ground traces.
The multi-port jack assembly may further comprise an outer shield portion in a substantially surrounding relation with the multi-port connector housing. The outer shield portion preferably includes a front shield wall portion and the base shield portions include grounding contacts extending forwardly and integrally therefrom and are adapted for electrical contact with the front shield wall portion.
The base shield portions may also include printed circuit grounding contacts extending integrally and rearwardly therefrom forming grounding circuit board portions.
In another aspect of the invention, a multi-port jack assembly comprises a multi-port electrical connector housing, a shield member and a plurality of modular connector subassemblies. The multi-port electrical connector housing has a plurality of housing ports adjacent a mating face of the connector housing. The shield member comprises a base shield portion and at least one sidewall portion extending from a side edge of the base shield portion. At least one insulative housing assembly has electrical terminal assemblies therein, the insulative housing assembly being positioned against the base shield portion with the shield sidewall portion positioned against a side of the housing. The modular connector assembly further comprising a signal conditioning board having signal conditioning components and a ground trace thereon, the shield sidewall portion including a tab portion extending therefrom and electrically connected to the ground trace.
The multi-port jack assembly may include a plurality of modular connector subassemblies each comprises an insulative housing assembly and electrical terminal assemblies therein. The shield member comprises at least two shield side wall portions extending in opposite directions from the base shield portion, and the insulative housing assemblies are adapted for stacking with the base shield portion positioned therebetween. One of the shield sidewall portions is positioned against a side of one of the housings and the other shield sidewall portion is positioned against a side of the other housing.
The insulative housings may each comprise a modular jack housing portion and a signal conditioning housing portion and the electrical terminal assemblies may be comprised of modular jack terminals and circuit board contacts. The signal conditioning board may have signal conditioning components thereon positioned in the signal conditioning housing portion, with the modular jack terminals and the circuit board portions electrically connected to the signal conditioning board. The modular jack housing may be comprised of an over molded portion over the plurality of modular jack electrical terminals.
The multi-port jack assembly may further comprise an outer shield portion in a substantially surrounding relation with the multi-port connector housing. The outer shield portion may include a front shield wall portion and the base shield portions may include grounding contacts extending forwardly and integrally therefrom and adapted for electrical contact with the front shield wall portion. The base shield portions include printed circuit grounding contacts extending integrally and rearwardly therefrom and form grounding circuit board portions.